ANTIQUE 1739 ADMIRAL VERNON PORTO BELLO MEDAL SIX SHIPS WAR JENKINS EAR BRONZE
A fascinating antique 1739 ADMIRAL VERNON COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL, celebrating the British capture of:
PORTO BELLO / PORTOBELO, PANAMA
during the:
WAR OF JENKINS’ EAR
The medal commemorates Vice-Admiral:
EDWARD VERNON
and his famous attack on the Spanish colonial port of Porto Bello on:
22 NOVEMBER 1739
with only:
SIX SHIPS
A wonderful piece of early 18th-century British naval and imperial history.
Details
Date: 1739
Subject: Admiral Edward Vernon
Event: Capture of Porto Bello / Portobelo
Location: Panama
Conflict: War of Jenkins’ Ear
Material: Bronze / Copper Alloy / Brass-Type Metal, exact alloy untested
Edge: Plain
Obverse: Half-length figure of Admiral Vernon
Reverse: British ships entering Porto Bello harbour
Historic Inscription: HE TOOK PORTO BELLO WITH SIX SHIPS ONLY
Date in Exergue: NOV. 22. 1739
Please refer to the photographs for the exact diameter, weight, inscriptions, surface colour and condition.
Admiral Edward Vernon
The medal commemorates:
VICE-ADMIRAL EDWARD VERNON
one of the most famous British naval commanders of the mid-18th century.
Vernon became a national hero following his successful attack on the strategically important Spanish colonial port of:
PORTO BELLO
on the Caribbean coast of Panama.
The victory was widely celebrated in Britain and inspired the production of a remarkable variety of commemorative medals.
The Capture of Porto Bello – 1739
The action took place on:
22 NOVEMBER 1739
during the conflict known as the:
WAR OF JENKINS’ EAR
Porto Bello was an important Spanish imperial port and had a reputation for strong fortifications.
Vernon had famously argued that the port could be taken with only a small naval force.
In 1739, he attacked and captured it with:
SIX SHIPS OF THE LINE
an achievement that immediately became the basis for patriotic celebration.
Reverse – “Six Ships Only”
The reverse depicts British warships entering the harbour and bears the celebrated inscription:
HE TOOK PORTO BELLO WITH SIX SHIPS ONLY
with the date:
NOV. 22. 1739
This phrase became one of the most recognisable legends associated with Vernon medals.
The six ships became central to the popular image of Vernon’s victory and were repeatedly represented in medallic designs.
Obverse – Admiral Vernon
The obverse shows a half-length figure of:
ADMIRAL VERNON
facing left.
He is represented in military or naval dress and holding a:
COMMAND BATON
with surrounding inscription.
The portrait was intended to present Vernon as the commanding figure behind one of the most celebrated British naval victories of the period.
“By Courage and Conduct”
Many Porto Bello medals use inscriptions praising Vernon’s success:
BY COURAGE AND CONDUCT
This language reflects the highly patriotic mood in Britain following the victory.
The medals were not official campaign decorations in the modern military sense, but rather commemorative pieces produced to celebrate Vernon and his achievement.
War of Jenkins’ Ear
The War of Jenkins’ Ear began in:
1739
and formed part of the wider rivalry between Britain and Spain over trade, shipping and colonial power in the Americas.
The conflict is named after the famous story of British mariner:
ROBERT JENKINS
whose ear was allegedly cut off by Spanish coastguards.
The Porto Bello victory became one of the earliest and most famous British successes of the war.
Porto Bello / Portobelo, Panama
Porto Bello, now known as:
PORTOBELO
was an important Spanish colonial harbour in present-day Panama.
For centuries it played a major role in Spanish imperial trade, particularly in the movement of wealth and goods between the Americas and Europe.
Its capture therefore carried both military and symbolic significance.
Vernon Medals
The popularity of Vernon’s victory resulted in a huge number of medal varieties.
Different issues were made in:
COPPER
BRASS
BRONZE-TYPE ALLOYS
WHITE METAL
and with numerous variations in portrait, inscriptions, ship arrangements and harbour scenes.
These medals are now a specialist area of 18th-century numismatic collecting.
This example should therefore be identified by its exact design and legends rather than assumed to match every known Vernon medal variety.
Early British Naval Commemorative
This medal has strong appeal as a piece of:
BRITISH NAVAL HISTORY
COLONIAL HISTORY
18TH-CENTURY NUMISMATICS
MARITIME MEMORABILIA
It predates the American Revolution and belongs to an important period of imperial rivalry in the Atlantic and Caribbean worlds.
Collector Appeal
This medal should appeal to collectors of:
Admiral Vernon
Porto Bello
Portobelo
War of Jenkins’ Ear
1739 Medals
British Naval History
Early British Medals
Maritime Collectables
Colonial History
Panama History
Georgian Numismatics
18th-Century Commemorative Medals
Highlights
DATED 1739
ADMIRAL EDWARD VERNON
PORTO BELLO / PORTOBELO
WAR OF JENKINS’ EAR
SIX SHIPS ONLY
Naval harbour scene
Admiral with command baton
Plain edge
Early Georgian period
Strong British naval interest
Scarce historic subject
Fascinating 18th-century commemorative medal
A superb early 1739 Admiral Vernon Porto Bello commemorative medal, celebrating one of the most famous British naval victories of the early Georgian period.
Condition & Attribution
The medal is in honest antique condition with wear consistent with considerable age.
Please expect some degree of:
SURFACE WEAR • PATINATION • TONING • RUBBING • EDGE KNOCKS • SCRATCHES • SOFTENING OF DETAIL • GENERAL AGE-RELATED WEAR
where visible.
Please inspect the photographs carefully for the clarity of:
THE VERNON PORTRAIT
COMMAND BATON
SHIP SCENE
INSCRIPTIONS
DATE
RIM AND EDGE
The metal is described as bronze / copper alloy / brass-type metal based on appearance and known Vernon medal issues. No independent metallurgical testing has been undertaken.
The medal commemorates the 1739 capture of Porto Bello, but as many varieties and later copies or restrikes exist, the exact die variety and precise manufacture date of this individual piece should be assessed from the design, fabric and markings.
No claim is made that this was an official military campaign medal or personally owned by Admiral Vernon.
Please refer to the photographs for the actual diameter, weight, metal colour, inscriptions and overall condition before bidding.
🖼️ Item Condition:
This item is in honest antique condition. I’ve included detailed photographs to show the condition, size, and weight, so please review them carefully before placing your bid.
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